By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Robert Zahn, Navy Office of Community Outreach
Photo By Senior Chief Petty Officer Gary Ward
YOKOSUKA, Japan – A San Jose, California native and 2006 Silver Creek High School graduate is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard the guided missile cruiser, USS Antietam.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Oliver Patague is an information systems technician aboard the forward deployed Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser operating out of Yokosuka, Japan. Antietam is one of three cruisers forward-deployed in Yokosuka.
A Navy information systems technician is responsible for the communications and computer system on the interior and exterior of the ship.
“I went to college first because I knew the importance of it and it helped prepare for an easy transition into a Navy career,” said Patague.
With more than 50 percent of the world's shipping tonnage and a third of the world's crude oil passing through the region, the United States has historic and enduring interests in this part of the world.
"Our alliance is rooted in shared interests and shared values," said Adm. Harry Harris, Commander, U.S. Pacific Command. "It's not hyperbole to say that the entire world has benefited from the U.S.-Japan alliance. While our alliance helped stabilize the region after the Second World War, it also enabled the Japanese people to bring about an era of unprecedented economic growth. And for the last six decades, our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen have worked side by side with the Japan Self Defense Force to protect and advance peace and freedom."
Approximately 300 men and women serve aboard the ship. Their jobs are highly specialized and keep each part of the cruiser running smoothly, according to Navy officials. They do everything from maintaining gas turbine engines and operating the highly sophisticated Aegis weapons system to driving the ship and operating small boats.
Forward-deployed sailors are crucial to the success of the global Navy mission and earn high praise from their leaders.
“My dad was in the Navy for twenty years and he prepared me for the military by helping me learn how to manage people,” said Patague. “One of my accomplishments while being in the Navy is when our ship was in the shipyard we had to re-certify our communications on board to make the ship operational."
Sailors serving abroad in Japan are highly motivated and quickly adapt to changing conditions, explained Navy officials.
“It’s good to serve my country and to be part of something bigger while trying to do my part,” added Patague.
A Navy cruiser is a multi-mission ship that can operate independently or as part of a larger group of ships at sea. The ship is equipped with a vertical launching system, tomahawk missiles, torpedoes, guns, and a phalanx close-in weapons system.
Sailors play a vital role in the overall military mission around the world.
"The U.S.-Japan alliance remains the cornerstone for peace and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region," said Harris.